Ukraine Strikes Russian Refinery Amid Diesel Export Ban Considerations

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has taken another turn as Ukraine's forces launched a drone attack on an oil refinery near Moscow. The refinery, which is co-owned by Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, sustained damage in the overnight strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video of the burning refinery on Thursday.

The 300,000-barrels-per-day refinery in Yaroslavl, located fewer than 200 miles northeast of Moscow, was hit by drones in a joint operation by Ukraine's Security Service, Unmanned Systems Forces, Defense Intelligence, and Foreign Intelligence Service. Mikhail Yevrayev, governor of the Yaroslavl region, confirmed that an oil refinery had been damaged in the attack.

The recent attacks on energy infrastructure show that there is no truce between the two sides to spare such targets. Ukraine's latest strike comes as Russia considers extending its ban on diesel exports through October 31. The ban was set to expire on September 30, but due to delayed refinery maintenance and a need to rebuild fuel reserves before winter, it may be extended.